The battle was intense. William Byron and Denny Hamlin were front-runners at the Coca-Cola 600 for the majority of the race. With the stakes high, both racers were engaged in a heated duel for bragging rights at the crown jewel event, leading laps and making passes by capitalizing on every opening they could find. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran led 53 laps at ‘America’s Home for Racing’, second only to his Hendrick Motorsports rival. But when the checkered flag was waved, Hamlin ended up scoring 16th as the last car on the lead lap.
Meanwhile, Byron narrowly missed out on Victory Lane, having been overtaken by Ross Chastain with six laps to go. Bizarrely, some Hendrick Motorsports fans blamed Denny Hamlin for the No. 24 Chevy’s result, even though the veteran racer was being lapped when Chastain made the pass.
Denny Hamlin distances himself from controversy
Denny Hamlin was racing for nothing but pride in the closing stages of the 2025 Coca-Cola 600. Despite running second during the final cycle of green-flag pit stops, the veteran racer faced some troubling news when he got back on the racetrack after discovering that he didn’t have enough fuel to reach the checkered flag. In an attempt to salvage a result, the No. 11 Toyota finally pitted again with 12 laps to go, a decision that resulted in him being lapped by the race leaders towards the end.
Responding to unfounded accusations that he somehow influenced Byron’s second-place finish, Denny Hamlin set the record straight on the Actions Detrimental podcast. He said, “I was behind him. He got stuck behind the #22, got loose in three and four. The #1 came in with a massive run because he got loose behind the #22, and I went by both of them. And by the way, I lifted into Turn 1 to let them race. If you look, I got beside the #24 and here comes the #1, I lifted into one because I’m like, ‘I ain’t getting in the middle of this. I’ll pass him off of Turn 2. What are these people watching?”
Hamlin wasn’t having any of it. With six laps to go, the veteran racer was occupying the bottom lane going into Turn 1 since he was already lapped. William Byron, who was leading, had a moment of hesitation, and Chastain capitalized on that opportunity by driving into the narrowest of gaps between the two racers. Absolving himself of any blame, the 44-year-old couldn’t help but say, “How can people be that dumb? That is just asinine. You think I give a f-ck at that point?”
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 01: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota, looks on after the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 01, 2024 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Ultimately, Denny Hamlin’s hopes of finishing the race on the lead lap were fulfilled. Considering that he led the second-highest number of laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway, not even finishing inside the top 15 was a heartbreaking outcome. But what infuriated the Florida native was somehow being blamed for Byron’s second-place finish, despite making it clear that he “held my line really, really low, I didn’t side draft anyone, nothing.” Perhaps it all stems down to the rivalry between Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, which may lead some fans to this conclusion.
Hamlin reflects on what went wrong in Charlotte
Denny Hamlin was looking for redemption. After a disappointing 38th-place finish in Texas, the veteran racer was eager to hit the ground running at the Coca-Cola 600. Having qualified for the crown jewel event in 20th place, the veteran knew making a good start would be key to remaining in contention, and that’s exactly what he did, finishing second in Stages 2 and 3, just behind William Byron.
But it all went wrong towards the end. During the final cycle of green-flag pit stops, the fueler put the second can in, but it didn’t connect properly, and fuel began to spill all over the ground. Driving helplessly, Hamlin hoped for a caution that never came, forcing him to give up track position with a handful of laps remaining to stand a chance of finishing the race.
When asked if he will have a conversation with his pit crew afterwards, Denny Hamlin candidly said, “I mean, they’re the pros. I’m not a pit guy, but I tried to do everything I could for the National Debt Toyota Team. Fun battling up front. It was a heck of a battle there and would have liked to see it through, but unfortunately just didn’t get enough gas in it and had to come back in.”
It’s not the first time Hamlin has been forced to contend with pit crew errors. During his 2024 playoff run, the veteran claimed his team was “in a slump, for sure.” With no top-five finish in his last four races, the 44-year-old will hope to make amends when the Cup Series visits Nashville Superspeedway next week for the 2025 Cracker Barrel 400. With two wins already this season, could he secure his first triumph at the 1.3-mile tri-oval? Time will tell.
The post “You Think I Give a F***?”- Denny Hamlin Lashes Out at HMS Fanboys Amidst Wild William Byron Accusations appeared first on EssentiallySports.